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Maybe, he said, he will give the bulk of ice time to players who show they are prepared to play.

"The warnings have been given," Tocchet said. "We'll go to boot camp now."

It was a fitting exclamation to Monday night's 5-3 loss to the Bruins at TD Banknorth Garden.

It wasn't that Tampa Bay (6-13-8) lost to the East's best, which won its 10th straight at home. It was the dysfunctional first period in which Boston outshot the Lightning 13-5 and scored three goals in 4 minutes, 2 seconds, the last two in 77 seconds, to take a 3-0 lead at 10:46.

"To me, it's an embarrassment when you have more than three or four individuals not ready to play," Tocchet said. "It's embarrassing right now. It really is."

It was an unsettling day for Tampa Bay, which dropped its eighth straight (0-6-2), as wing Radim Vrbata and center Chris Gratton were put on waivers.

Tocchet said it is no excuse.

"You're a pro. When does that come out as a pro, you being ready?" he said. "Yeah, we had some roster changes and distractions. Still, that doesn't mean you miss your man or don't finish your check or miss your coverage."

It wasn't all gloom.

Tampa Bay outshot Boston 24-11 in the final two periods, 15-4 in the third, and got goals by Adam Hall, Vinny Lecavalier and Paul Szczechura, whose first of his career made it 4-3 with 17.5 seconds left.

P.J. Axelsson's empty-netter with 10 seconds left after a weak clearing attempt by defenseman Paul Ranger was the clincher.

The comeback made the first period even worse.

"The effort," goalie Mike Smith said, "was not great."

"I don't think it's a situation where we're not ready," defenseman Steve Eminger said. "Guys know what to do. …It's just three breakdowns that hurt us."